The Philadelphia Phillies were able to make their point in the final against the Detroit Tigers and thus secured another series victory.
After a brief period in which their arch-rivals Atlanta Braves were able to catch up somewhat in the race for the NL East, the Phillies have won six of their last ten games and appear to be a dominant team again.
The reason for their success this season is that they were able to combine top-notch starting pitchers with an explosive offense, a recipe for success for any team in baseball.
But even though Zack Wheeler and Ranger Suarez became favorites for the NL Cy Young Award, Aaron Nola made a comeback, and Cristopher Sanchez earned a massive contract extension, there was still some unease about Taijuan Walker’s performance.
It got to the point where fans were begging manager Rob Thomson to take action and put Spencer Turnbull back in the starting lineup after he was moved to the bullpen.
With Walker on the injured list due to finger inflammation, they were able to automatically put Turnbull in fifth place.
Unfortunately, the right-hander had to leave the game early on Wednesday due to arm problems.
Turnbull tried to downplay the situation, telling reporters: “I just felt a slight pull on the back of my triceps, shoulder and lats… Hopefully it’s nothing serious, but I wanted to tell them when I felt it. I didn’t want to do anything that would make it worse. Hopefully I’m OK. We’ll get it checked out tomorrow, but I think it’ll be OK.”
Any injury to the veteran is currently a cause for concern.
He missed all of 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and was demoted to the minor leagues in 2023 before being placed on the 60-day IL because of neck problems.
This allowed Philadelphia to acquire him cheaply during the offseason, and he was able to put in some early performances that kept him on the roster when Walker returned from his first stint on the injured list.
However, this latest setback could keep him out for some time.
If that’s the case, it sounds like Thomson already knows who would take on his role.
“I think the most likely candidate would be (Michael) Mercado if we had to do something. It’s not that long since his last start, so he’s still in top form and I’m pretty confident,” the captain said, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
This should come as no surprise, as his name had already been mentioned as someone the Phillies could call upon during the summer months to expand their rotation and give their stars fewer innings before the playoffs.
Michael Mercado has been outstanding at the Triple-A level this year, posting a 1.71 ERA in 14 appearances and 10 starts.
On June 23, he was called up to the first team for the first time and made his major league debut as a reliever, throwing a scoreless inning in which he did not allow a single hit and struck out one batter.
The 25-year-old was selected in the second round of the 2017 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays and signed by Philadelphia before this season.
Mercado is currently considered the Phillies’ 30th best young player.
